HEALTH professionals from Manchester gathered into teams to take on the RideLondon to Surrey cycling challenge head on to raise funds for Prevent Breast Cancer.

The cycle saw the two teams from The Nightingale Centre at Wythenshawe Hospital join forces to cycle the London to Surrey route and contribute towards the £100,000 they have already raised for the Manchester charity.

Prevent Breast Cancer is the UK’s only charity dedicated to the prediction and prevention of the disease, and was the first ever Charity of the Year for the Prudential RideLondon to Surrey 46.

Katharine Sellers was part of the Nutri-bikers team, taking to the wheels for the good cause.

Nutri-bikers, the team of research dietitians, raised more than £3,000 and are eager to give back to the charity as it funds many of their studies.

Katharine, Programme Co-ordinator, wanted to do something positive in memory of her mother who died from breast cancer nine years ago. She said: “I’ve been cycling to work for seven years. I wanted to challenge myself again after completing a sprint triathlon last year, as the cycling was my favourite part.

“I wanted to support Prevent Breast Cancer, the charity that supports so much of the research we do, so when mention of RideLondon came up, I couldn’t turn it down.”

Cycling alongside the group of more than 40 health professionals, was Miles for Melanie, a team of 36 anaesthetists, surgeons and radiologists from Manchester University Hospitals Foundation Trust. They rode in memory of their colleague Melanie Osborne, who died in 2018.

Adam Dobson worked with her as an anaesthetist at Wythenshawe Hospital., and thought that riding the London to Surrey cycle with Miles for Melanie would ‘bring the different departments together across the hospitals of central and southern Manchester.’

Melanie’s brother Jeremy Osbourne, also joined the team to take part in the 46 mile challenge, as the cause lies particularly close to his heart. He said: “My sister’s colleagues chose to take part in this event as a way to create a legacy for her, and I thought I’d join them and be part of that effort.

“Cancer has had a significant impact on my life, and I have seen first-hand the devastation that it causes.

“The work that Prevent Breast Cancer does is vital, and I am glad to have participated in something that will take us one step closer to creating a future free from the disease.”

As the only dedicated prevention centre in the country, Prevent Breast Cancer is committed to working with patients, researchers and leading scientists to discover how to prevent the most common cancer in the UK.

Nikki Barraclough, Executive Director at Prevent Breast Cancer, said: “We’re thrilled to have been the first ever charity of the year partner of the Prudential RideLondon-Surrey 46, and pleased to have had the support of the immediate team of health professionals working at the Nightingale Centre and Wythenshawe Hospital.

“It was great see the wider team practising what they preach and supporting us via our biggest cycling event to date.

“150 people are diagnosed with the disease every day, and it is the most common form of cancer in the UK, something we want to change.”

For more information about the work Prevent Breast Cancer does, visit preventbreastcancer.org.uk.